Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has interacted with the local community and Los Alamos National Laboratory during the last eight years she has been in office at the Roundhouse. At a fundraiser in her honor at Central Avenue Grill Wednesday evening, the Democrat explained that her familiarity with the town and laboratory gives her an advantage over her Republican opponent Susana Martinez of Las Cruces.

Carol A. Clark/Monitor

Gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish speaks to supporters at a fundraiser in Los Alamos at the Central Avenue Grill. She said her long-time connection with the community as Lieutenant governor makes her a better candidate than her Republican opponent.

“I’ve had a lot of support from Los Alamos and I think it’s because we’ve had a working relationship for so long,” Denish said. “From the laboratory standpoint we need a governor who understands its importance…and to support its forging partnerships with businesses and encouraging entrepreneurships. I know there are clean-up issues but you need a governor who will work with the congressional delegation, which I will…and I hope to see the lab in the future play a big role in alternative energy solutions for our country.”

Denish told the capacity crowd that this election is about jobs, expanding education and making sure to do the right thing about fighting the bad guys such as payday loan sharks and high-cost mortgage lenders.

One of the focuses she and her six or seven person staff have had during the last eight years, she said, has been to work to ensure there’s access to capital for small businesses. The days of corporations with 500 plus jobs moving into the state are limited, making job creation the challenge now, she said.